Epidemiology and factors associated with peripheral neuropathy among HIV infected patients in Gondar, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

• Published in: PloS one 2019-01, Vol.14 (1), p.e0211354-e0211354
• Main Authors: Adem, Kedir Sany, Janakiraman, Balamurugan, Gebremeskel, Berihu Fisseha, Chala, Mulugeta Bayisa, Gelaw, Asmare Yitayeh, Alemu, Kassahun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; Adults; Age; AIDS; Analysis; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral therapy; Biology and Life Sciences; CD4 antigen; Clinical trials; Complications; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data processing; Demographics; Diagnostic software; Diagnostic systems; Didanosine; Didanosine - adverse effects; Didanosine - therapeutic use; Drug therapy; Epidemiology; Female; Health aspects; Health care; Health sciences; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV infections; HIV Infections - complications; HIV patients; HIV tests; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Life expectancy; Life span; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Pain; Patient compliance; Patients; People and Places; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - epidemiology; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Peripheral neuropathy; Physical Sciences; Polyneuropathies; Preventive medicine; Quality of Life; Regression analysis; Resource management; Risk factors; Screening; Therapy; Tuberculosis
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211354

Antiretroviral therapy has surely increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV. However, long term complications like HIV associated sensory neuropathy has a negative impact on quality of life among people living with HIV (PLHIV). In Ethiopia, lack of data on magnitude of the burden and predictors of HIV associated sensory neuropathy in many resource limited setting has led to under diagnosis and eventually under management of HIV-SN. Hence, this study was set out to establish the burden of HIV-associated sensory neuropathy and, its association with demographic, health and clinical characteristics among people living with HIV in Ethiopia. Cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of HIV-associated sensory neuropathy and the associated factors among adult HIV patients at University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. Brief Peripheral Neuropathy Screening tool validated by AIDs Clinical trial group was used for screening HIV-associated sensory neuropathy. Data were analyzed descriptively and through uni- and multivariate logistic regression. In total 359 adult PLHIV with a mean age of 36.5± 9.07 years participated, their median duration of HIV infection was 60 months (IQR 36-84) and their median CD4 count 143cells/μL (IQR 69.5-201.5). Age above 40 years, anti-tuberculosis regimen, tallness, and exposure to didanosine contained antiretroviral therapy were found to be associated with HIV-associated sensory neuropathy (AOR 1.82, 1.84, 1.98 and 4.33 respectively). More than half of the HIV patients who attended HIV care clinic at University of Gondar hospital during the study period were found to present with peripheral sensory neuropathy. Higher age, tallness, TB medication, and didanosine in ART were significantly associated with HIV-SN as screened by effective diagnostic (BPNS) tool.